Google 'Icefish': the next-generation TPUs look to Samsung's 2-nanometer process?
The saturation of the production lines for the most advanced processes at TSMC is pushing technology giants to rethink their strategies. According to a recent report from The Information, citing sources close to the matter, Google has initiated strategic discussions with Samsung Electronics to entrust the South Korean company's Foundry division with part of the production of its future Tensor Processing Units (TPUs).
At the center of the talks with Samsung is the next generation of Google's proprietary accelerators, internally codenamed "Icefish". According to rumors, Google intends to leverage Samsung's 2-nanometer manufacturing process for these chips. However, the plan does not anticipate a complete transition: TSMC will remain the main partner and will hold the majority share of the orders.
The "Icefish" TPUs are currently in the design phase, and mass production is planned for 2028. A collaboration between Google and Samsung is not unprecedented, as the Korean manufacturer has previously handled the manufacturing of Tensor SoCs for the Pixel smartphone line.
The diversification landscape could, however, extend further, as already reported by The Information in recent days, potentially including Intel as well. Sources indicate that Google has initiated preliminary talks with the Santa Clara company to evaluate the production of a quantifiable volume of about three million TPUs, also targeting the year 2028.
Tensor Processing Units play a central role in Google's cloud infrastructure and are positioned as one of the main alternatives to NVIDIA's GPUs, which currently hold the majority share of the AI acceleration market. The development and adoption of custom silicon allow Google not only to optimize internal costs and mitigate dependence on third parties but also to enable new business opportunities in the cloud market, as demonstrated by the supply of TPUs to companies specializing in artificial intelligence, including Anthropic.